From car engines to search engines, from cell phones to stem cells, and thousands of subjects in between, HowStuffWorks has it covered. No topic is too big or too small for their editorial staff to unmask, or for you to understand. In addition to comprehensive articles, the helpful graphics and informative videos walk you through every topic clearly, simply and objectively. Their premise is simple: Demystify the world and do it in a simple, clear-cut way that anyone can understand.

The site is particularly helpful for science, biology, geography and history teachers.

Click here to visit HowStuffWorks.

The free GetSmarter Guide to Online Safety includes advice on all types of online risks, and offers plenty of practical advice on keeping yourself and your data even more secure.

5 More Tips to Online Safety

1. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A stranger wouldn’t really give you large sums of money for a little help, and it’s impossible to win a lottery without ever entering it. Ignore emails like these completely.
2. Keep your passwords safe, change them often and make sure they are very hard to guess. Don’t use your name, birthdate, pet’s name or any other obvious piece of information.
3. Never agree to meet someone you met on the internet in real life without having friends present and being in a public space. In fact, it is best to avoid these meetings altogether.
4. Make sure that your computer has good antivirus and firewall programs installed to prevent hackers getting access to your data and viruses infecting your computer.
5. When making any online payments by credit card, ensure that you are using a reputable vendor and that you enter your details on a secure site. To see if a site is secure, look for “https” at the beginning of the web address (instead of the usual “http”), and look for the little lock icon on your browser – a closed lock indicates a secure site.

Want to learn more about the Internet?

Click here to read about the University of Cape Town Internet Super-User course. This course teaches students to harness the power of the internet and use its tools to its full potential.

The solution is to get a comprehensive web education. GetSmarter’s UCT Internet Super-User course gives you just that: the 10-week, part-time online course presented throughout South Africa and abroad teaches web novices how to use a wide variety of web tools and tricks. The course has proven extremely popular with teachers, who make up 25% of all students. Dr Pam Miller, a CAT teacher at Pinelands High School, found the learning model excellent; she took the course to explore the learning delivery model and found elements like the quiz and forums excellent. Debs Sanders, a teacher at St Benedict’s School, was equally impressed and learned a great deal through her contributions to the course’s interactive online forum.

Imagine if you could use cellphones for instant, dynamic classroom teaching. What if you could create interactive online quizzes for learners to test their knowledge on, or post video lectures for the times when you are ill or away from class? While these ideas may seem far-fetched, they are rapidly becoming the norm in the developed world – and the UCT Internet Super-User course will teach you to implement them. Here are some reasons why you should incorporate the internet into your curriculum plan.

1. There’s so much information out there already. The web holds a wealth of interesting, educational material on every subject imaginable – tools like Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, or the Khan Academy, a site with thousands of educational videos (www.khanacademy.org). If you can tap into these sources, not only will you improve your own lesson plans, you can assign these materials as extra readings for learners to explore.
2. It makes learning more engaging for pupils. The web is an unparalleled interactive and fun learning platform. Watching videos, socialising with friends and writing blog posts can all be turned into educational opportunities. Even the cellphone is a powerful learning tool. Imagine the impact on a class about social studies if learners were to get live SMS responses to demographic questions from their parents and friends.
3. There are many excellent learning tools available online. The web isn’t just a wild and dangerous place; there are spaces where children can learn and explore safely. There are also many free and useful teaching tools, like online communities, quiz creation tools and forums, that you can harness to make learning seem more like fun and less like work. They also make your life much easier – an online quiz can instantly grade learners’ results; how long would it take for you to do the same?

10% discount for Teacher’s Monthly readers …

GetSmarter is offering all Teacher’s Monthly readers a 10% discount off the course fee. All you need to do is enter the “Teacher’s Monthly” in the promotional code section when registering.

The University of Cape Town Internet Super-User course is a 10-week part-time presented online available to all South Africans and international students. The course will teach you the practical skills to use the internet effectively which will translate into a competitive advantage in your professional life and will become vital as the internet plays and increasingly important role in out daily lives. Get ahead by learning to use these tools like the professionals: Google, Skype, Wikipedia, Google Earth, Facebook, Twitter, PayPal, eBay, Ustream, Mozy, blogs, mobile technology and many more.

For more information on the course contact Karin on +27 21 685 4775 or Karin@getsmarter.co.za. Alternatively, visit www.getsmarter.co.za.

The school is surrounded by a barbed wire fence that has holes punched in at its various “strategic” points; and the huge dysfunctional iron gate does not work anymore and is therefore unlocked. Apart from the natural blessing of a thorn hedge that seemingly surrounds the school; there are traces of overgrazing throughout the entire yard of the school; in fact, one could easily mistake this school for an abandoned farmhouse.

On the western side of the farm – I mean the school – stands a sprawling dumpsite that gives off the overpowering smell of old dogs and all sorts of rubbish on what was previously a cauldron that bustled with the energy of numerous sporting activities.  The only souvenir to this fact is the lopsided and net-less goalposts that are decorated with rust.

On the eastern and therefore sunny side of the school, near the “parking lot” that is about two minutes away from the administration building; there are a few gentlemen engaged in a casual caucus. Casual because it’s hard to tell whether these gentlemen are visitors or school educators: some of them are dressed in casual golf shirts and appalling grey jackets straight from the stone age; others are sporting the most interesting hairstyles that are representative of the latest religious craze that exalts Haile Sellassie beyond human understanding; some of them are taking a few puffs of one of the famous brand of cigarettes, some of which are giving off a certain odour of banned substances; and the other one is busy whistling at a female learner who has just arrived, seemingly late if one was to judge by her efforts at hurrying to the nearest class. She, on the other hand, is dressed nicely in a white shirt, a pull-over jersey and an embarrassingly short navy-blue skirt. Her large earrings make a jingling sound as she runs to class, her long hair bouncing on her shoulders as she proceeds forth.

I gingerly move past these interesting circumstances and advance straight into the administration building. Since there’s nobody at the “reception area”, it is safe to proceed to the nearest office marked “Principal”. Upon entering without knocking, I become an unhappy witness to the sight of a very angry principal, sweating profusely from caning a silently crying and extremely disorientated female learner, whose small hands are a mixture of red and green from the administration of this form of punishment. Since it was wrong to barge into the office of the principal and therefore disturb him in the scope of his “duties”, I regard regards it as fair to walk around the school whilst awaiting an opportunity to see him.

Proceeding into a nearby classroom of Grade 12 learners, I come across a slightly nervous female teacher clutching at a textbook, trying her utmost with her broken English to teach these learners. They in turn seem to be disinterested in what she was teaching, apart from a few jeers as she fumbles her way through the textbook.

I decide to venture into the next class, where a flamboyant educator, dressed immaculately and articulating himself very eloquently, is busy teaching a class crammed to capacity by about fifty learners. Despite the terrible grammatical errors on their books and a serious molestation of the English language, these learners are more interested but they are extremely cold… an air conditioner is a myth to this class, there’s no electricity and a loose high-voltage live wire dangles dangerously from one of the plugs near the chalkboard.

About five of them are pregnant, four are sleeping, three are not concentrating, a few are concentrating but sit stone-faced without a single movement. Another one’s stomach rumbles in what can only be regarded as an unmistakable rumble of the pangs of hunger.

An urge to pay a visit to the toilets presents itself. A group of male learners who had been exchanging a cigarette scurries away as I approach. Passing by near the dark corridor that leads to the toilet, I shockingly stumble across a couple engaged in a rather intimate moment, and common sense states that they are learner and educator, judging by the dress code and a tell-tale age difference. Ignoring these two as guilt takes its course, I get into the toilets. The sight there is likely to make an elephant vomit. Never mind the smell.

Deciding that I have seen enough for a few minutes, I rush back to my car with the hope of quickly getting out of this school. To my horror, the front window of the car is broken and the car radio, together with other valuables, has wandered off by itself.

The above is not a fictitious story that is meant to tickle the taste-buds of a literary fanatic. It is simply the medium that I have selected to document a few known matters and present them to the surface. It is this selection of circumstances that lead me to numerous questions.

In light of these circumstances, do we really have a reason to be surprised when the results fall short of the set objectives?

For those who have through sheer luck and serious commitment made it into the framework of tertiary institutions, do we really have grounds to express shock when they drop out before completing their first year?

Generally speaking, is it a coincidence that the majority of children from affluent, formerly model-C schools end up as corporate heavyweights and professional dynamites, as compared to those from a plethora of township schools? Exceptional cases of corporate world-beaters from the dusty streets are hereby purposefully ignored because they are tiny islands of success in an ocean of dismal failure.

Why is it that everybody is passive about the reproduction of these societal inequalities that eventually lead to the unequal disbursements of the chances of success and failure?

Where on earth did it go wrong?

Answers are clearly needed. The sooner we honestly identify our shortcomings and seek feasible solutions the better.

Having said that, there are many online applications out there, but not all are completely suited for South African teachers. This list comprises the apps and resources that we feel our teachers could benefit from …

1. Book Glutton
   A great application for English teachers. It allows users to read books over the web and and annotate and discuss books in an online community forum.
2. SchoolRack
   Allows you to create a free classroom website or educational blog to communicate with your learners and parents outside of your classroom.
3. AVG
   Most teachers don’t realise just how dangerous and prevalent computer viruses are. AVG is a free, downloadable virus scanner for your laptop or personal computer.
4. BrainHoney
   Move over Moodle, there’s a new player buzzing around. Whether you just want to supplement class room instruction with online content or jump right into offering online courses or a complete virtual school, BrainHoney’s online solution is quick and cost effective.
5. ClassMarker
   The ClassMarker online testing website is a professional, easy to use, online quiz maker that marks your tests and quizzes for you.
6. CreateDebate
   An integrated and dynamic virtual learning environment that will stoke the discussion and participation in your classroom.
7. Curriki
   This wiki-based online application is used by teachers to share educational ideas and coursework. Great for teachers stumped on ideas for activities, this application has a stock of lesson plans, handouts and study guides.
8. Edmodo
   A secure social platform for teachers and students to micro-blog and share files, events, documents, assignments and grades.
9. Edublogs
   An academic micro-blogging platform created with WordPress-powered blogs. Teachers can include class publications and newsletters, online discussions, allowing student blogs and adding multimedia. This free application also suggests tips on how educators can integrate blogs into their coursework.
10. Engrade
    A free set of web-based tools for educators allowing them to manage their classes online while providing parents and students with 24/7 real-time online access.
11. DOC Cop
    Allows teachers to catch plagiarizing learners through software that cross-checks online and offline sources.
12. Footnote.com
    A history teacher’s dream app, with more than 60 million original historical documents to peruse through. Very useful for general world history.
13. Gmail
    Looking for a secure, free e-mail account? Gmail is your answer.
14. Periodic Table of the Elements
    This online periodic table of elements is great for science teachers. When you toggle through the elements, users can essential facts such as atomic number, symbol and weight.
15. Lesson Planner Advanced
    Created by teachers, this tool helps teachers deliver great lectures with digital resources. Throw away the pencil and paper, this online lesson plan grid serves as an amazing tool for teachers to create lesson plans in one place.
16. Mindomo
    One of the most effective ways to organise information and critically think is to visually draw out your thoughts. This web-based mind mapping software helps you do just that.
17. MyStudiyo
    A web app that serves as a portal for online tests and quizzes. Users simply have to add content to quiz templates and create a customized quiz for your audience.
18. Remember The Milk
    Organising your personal and professional life can be a daily struggle, but applications like “Remember the Milk” can ease your pain. This online list management application allows users to create many different lists, schedule tasks, sync lists to email and instant messaging and generate time estimates on projects.
19. SchoolTool
    A free online bookkeeping resource for school management. The application delivers organisation tools for grading, scheduling, attendance, learning assessment and report card generation.
20. SparkNotes
    Helps students learn and practice basic skills, write a paper, study for a test and achieve their academic goals. From summaries of classics like The Scarlet Letter and To Kill A Mockingbird, to Science guides, teachers can utilise this resource for supplementary learning.

Want to see your online app or resource reviewed here? Contact us.

Department of Basic Education – Curriculum Changes 2010 and beyond (click to download)

Many years ago I decided something had to be done about the scrappy, incomplete and useless literature notebooks belonging to my weaker pupils.  Every year it was the same story.  The year would start off well: logical, legible notes would be written in the first two, or maybe three, pages but gradually, as books were left at home or someone was absent or the day was hot and I was boring, the notes descended into chaos.  Pages mysteriously came loose (the attached page having been used for Maths or History or a heart-rending love letter!), printed notes fluttered out whenever a page was turned  and, when exams arrived, all the pupil had to study from was a collection of dog-eared pages in no particular order.  Not a promising situation, especially as there is no textbook to refer to.

And yet these pupils were not trying to be difficult.  They generally participated in class, knew the bones of the plot and could offer some amazing insights at times.  I realised that many of them were just not academically disciplined or gifted enough to organise their books logically to ensure that they were user-friendly.  Many of the pupils simply started each entry on a new page – usually undated and without a heading!  If one asked them to add in information on a topic one had previously discussed, most of them fudged the issue and simply scribbled something somewhere on a blank centimetre of space – just to suggest that they were trying to be co-operative – but hadn’t a clue where the item should be placed.

What to do?  There simply wasn’t time to check the books often enough – and to follow up meaningfully was becoming a nightmare!  And all that checking and nagging meant that periods often became battlegrounds instead of opportunities to discuss and experience new ideas.

After much reading and thinking I decided that I had to spend more time with the pupils formatting these books.  To do so, I had to make sure that I knew the play or novel thoroughly before starting to teach it.  More than ever, I needed to plan the questions I wanted to set on each act/chapter as well as the issues I wanted to highlight in advance so that my strategy was clear.  (Really what I was doing was drafting the Lesson Plans and Assessment Standards although nobody used those terms in those days!)

Our first lesson was an extremely practical one.  At that stage everyone still had a pen, a ruler, a pencil and even had a notebook!  So we could work together.

I insisted on a separate book for each setwork.  No-one was allowed to do a novel from one end and poetry from the other!

Then we proceeded to allocate pages. All they had to do was to pencil in the appropriate heading at the appropriate place.  I didn’t have time to wait for those who enjoy decorating each page with coloured kokis!  That could be done at home, if they wished to do so. Although I issued a written explanation of what we were going to do, I found it useful to walk them through the procedure.  The time spent was recouped later as we did not have to wait while the pupils paged endlessly through to find the right page – everyone knew exactly where their neighbour’s page would be!

For the novel or a play, I allocated the first page(s) to Background.  This was where we would collect comments on historical details/ setting/purpose (e.g. What Golding aimed to discuss in Lord of the Flies.  What is a fable?, etc). Most of this was information I would provide.

Thereafter, we allocated a double page to each Main Character and a single page to supporting characters.  The page(s) was divided into columns: Physical description, Background details, Character – and a separate column where we would accumulate evidence of where these character traits became apparent. At this stage the names are meaningless to the class but already they are interacting with the characters and learning to spell the names correctly.  The lesson is therefore not merely administrative. I also squeezed in a half-column on the role or significance of this character to the development of the plot or theme (eg foil, representing the educated, thoughtful type of person, etc) although this would be completed only after we had read and discussed the whole book.

More double pages were allocated to key themes and images – it is up to you whether you label these initially or simply leave the pages blank to be used when the themes emerge. And the rest of the workbook could be used for short questions and essays.  Only the back two pages were reserved.  These we used for important vocabulary items – words which were essential to their understanding of the text.

As we began to study the book, we spent time transferring information to the appropriate pages and columns.  Pupils needed only to write down the relevant word or phrase in the column, although we generally included a page reference under Character so we could justify our choice of adjective. This activity might be during class – when one needed a change of pace or activity – or at home where this action might serve to indicate that they had read the required pages or listened in class.  Sometimes this was done individually, sometimes as a group.  One could vary this considerably using timed sessions or getting different groups to do different research for the class.  The rigid structure of the notebook does not necessitate a rigid lesson structure.  It merely helps the pupils to be organised.

I found this made my life much easier.  I could check the books more speedily, picking up at a glance who had included too little information and whose work was too sloppy to be acceptable. Group discussions became more meaningful as the individuals had something concrete to contribute.  Pupils could also assess each others’ work more easily.  A pupil who was absent could catch up something of what they had missed. The pupils learnt to distinguish between character and appearance, something weaker pupils struggle to do.  And when we begin to write setwork essays, the necessary information was readily available so I could focus attention on the skills of writing.  Because each pupil had written down their own descriptors and highlighted the proofs they felt most valuable, these essays were still very individualistic – and there was no danger of producing ‘model answers’ which the pupils simply learn off by heart.  Moreover, because filling in the columns had required active involvement with the text, the pupils had developed some insight which enabled them to write about the text more confidently.

Eventually, I used this method for my top class as well.  I found that they appreciated being able to focus on the argument and the insight, rather than on the organisation of their notes.  There is no foolproof method, but this strategy vastly improved the quality of the notebooks.  I knew that almost everything the pupils needed to use for studying was in a ‘findable place’. And more importantly, although their style and their argument might be somewhat inadequate, at least they could show the examiner that they knew what was going on.

Perhaps you too will find it useful.

Originally published on Teaching English Today.

We were finding it a dull read. I’m not saying it is a dull book, (for those of you who haven’t read it, it isn’t badly written) but I don’t think it was suited to grab the attention of 18 year old boys living in the year 2004. Not only was it a dull read, but the whole classroom environment was dull. We were sitting in a bland classroom that had one lonely poster on the wall which had probably been left behind by the previous inhabitant judging by its faded appearance and dated look.

I almost think my teacher agreed with me as he half-heartedly defended why we were reading the book. There were so many other topics and themes we could be reading about that would engage us, I thought as I drifted off into a daydream and  began developing a vision in my head of a utopian classroom that looked something like this:

Before entering the classroom there is a thought provoking message on the door that changes on a daily basis, perhaps an interesting quote or breathtaking image. Something to set the tone and get some inspiration flowing.  As I enter the room, there is an explosion of colour as creative and interesting posters and murals adorned the walls and ceiling. The carpeted floor requires we leave our shoes at the entrance – one wouldn’t want to get mud on a pristine Persian rug now would you? The teacher, a leggy, blond, former swimsuit model strolls in (remember this an 18 year olds’ fantasy) and tells us she’s got some extremely relevant and interesting books to choose from for our set work. “This one’s about a drug addicts struggle to get clean and be accepted into society, and this one’s about the lives of the teenage children of New York’s rich and successful, purrs Ms McKenzie as she glances over at me and gives me an inviting wink.

Ok, so it’s a pretty far-fetched vision, but I was and still am convinced that if teachers can find more ways of relating to their target market then we’ll see an improvement in interest and therefore results. There is a big gap between teachers and learners, now more-so than ever. The things that interest children and teenagers now are very different to what they were as little as 5 years ago. I believe teachers should embrace this and tap into what makes the youth tick. Embrace technology and social trends and incorporate them into what you teach this generation to whom the words chip, boot, window and apple have completely different meanings to what they did to the previous generation.

Think like a business. You’re a teacher. Your ‘product’ is knowledge. Your ‘target market’ is your learners. In advertising, a business will do whatever it needs to do in order to make it’s product appealing to the target market. So package your knowledge enticingly. Make it colourful, and start thinking like a business.

Here are some more words that have taken on a completely new meaning thanks to technology. Use them in their new context to your class to “wow!” your learners.